pe 
Re: 
onthe contraty, this devaftation and this oppref- 
‘fion witha malignant fatisfaétion; and concurred, 
when the mifchief was completed, in guarantee- 
ing, Ina folemn manner, the fyftem of a tyranny 
which refulted from it. 
When the French nation, wearied. with the 
infupportable tyranny of Kings, fhook off its 
yoke, and formed itfelf into an independent Re- 
public, the Britith Minifters thought that they 
could not have a better opportunity to difmem- 
ber a part of that fine empire They accordingly 
united in the Treaty concluded at Pilnitz, on the 
27th of Augult, 1791, by the Princes of Ger- 
many. The Frénch Republic, well knowing 
that that of the United Provinces of the Nether- 
ends would be conftrained by England to take a 
part in this plot againft its Hberty, declared war 
againft the Britifh Minifters, as well as againft 
their fubje&t Willtam VY, Stadtholder of the fe- 
ven United Provinces, and his partizans. It is 
thus that the Batavian Nation was once more 
drawn againgt its will into this bloody war by its 
depencence on thofe fame Minifters. Its treafures 
were lavifhed, and its arfenals nearly emptied, 
to aid the e: en plans of Pitt and his cabal. 
ey glith troops were fent to this Re- 
public, and w hen a defeat, fuftained near the 
Meufe by a part of the French army, had pre- 
cured a momentary advantage, the army of the 
States was forced to pafs the limits of our fron- 
tiers, and thofe of France -,and to wage an offen- 
five war on the French territory. Soon, however, 
the viétorius French repulied their enemies on 
all fides, and aoe day to day the armies of Eng- 
Jand ane the States retrogaded towards our fron- 
tiers. The Hae public found itfelf on the brink 
OF its ruin, fince appearances pointed out that the 
theatre of war would be removed to the very 
heart of its provinces, and all the country inun- 
dated. Never were the States in fo critical a po- 
fition fince the war with Spain; but this danger 
brought about their deliverance: Providence fe 
fo ated the perfidious plans of its enemies, who 
were defirous, rather that the Republic fhould 
be deftroyed, than that it fhould be free. When 
the froft permitted the croffing of the Hivets) the 
yalorous French troops drove before them the 
Engitth bands, with fo much fpeed, that the lat- 
ter had not ee to effect their infernal defign ; 
hey fied, hut their read was traced by fire and 
t was nothing but their fpeedy and 
precip'tate retreat that piel ferved the Repuabhe 
trom atotal devaftation. We foon witnefied the 
extraordinary fpe€tacle cg the citizens pre- 
tented on all fides, holding out their arms to their 
conquerors as to their only dcliverers. We faw 
the Alhed Troops facx and plunder, and thofe 
who were called our enemics, refpect, public and 
pr: ‘wate properties. 
{= was thus thet the Netherlands were deli- 
vered from their moft eangerous enemies. The 
St sents abandoned, in a dafiardly way, his 
Country end his Fri-ndes, and fonght an afylum 
«t the Co rt of the King fe Engiand. The ftan- 
dard of Liberty was pk: snted in all places, while 
the French Republic declared the Batavian Na- 
tion free, and re-¢ftablithed ix im its primitive 
3 rigt hts. 
pillage. 
Je, 
$36 Rolland. 
_ totally Polen its 
[May 
The Britith Minifters, emraged at feeing this 
Republic ftill exift without being in their hands, 
attempted at leaft to deftroy it another way, by 
extenfive commerce. 
Upwards of 100 fhips, the greater part richly la- 
den, which, either through foul winds, or, as 2 
meafure of precaution, had fought fhelter in Bri- 
tith ports, as well as feveral Dutch fhips of war, 
were laid under embargo, as if to prevent them 
from falling into the hands of the French. Their 
High Mightineffes, it is true, fent Commiffion- 
ers to London to claim them, demonftrating by 
the moft folemn proofs, thatthe Batavian Re- 
public was no longer under the dominien of 
France, fince the folemn declaration of its inde- 
pendence, and that England ought to condué¢t it- 
felf towards the Batavian Nation, as towards a 
a Free People; they added, that the Dutch mer- 
chants would not rifque the entry of their vef- — 
{els into the ports of the Republic, if it was for 
no other purpofe than to furrender them to the 
French. The Britifh Minifters had, however, 
already made up their minds to appropriate this 
booty to themfelves; and, to augment it, they 
diffeminated on all fides falfe rumours touching 
the fituation of affairs in this Country, to the 
end that they might, in the fame way, allure into 
their ports the merchant-veffels belonging to the 
Republic, which were ftill at fea. They have 
fince entirely violated the Rights of Nations ; and 
all the Dutch veffels, to which his Majefty the 
King of Great Britain had granted high pratec- 
tion, were, In violation of the Treaty of Breda, 
perfdioufly declared lawful captures. 
But what puts the feal to the acts of hoftility 
and bad faith which the prefent Britifh Minifters 
have exercifed againft this Republic, is the trea- 
cherous mode in which they have endeavoured 
to make themfelves mafiers of her Colonies. 
For this purpofe they fent letters, figned by the 
Prince cf Orange, and dated at Kew, the 7th of 
February, 1795, to feveral of the Gulenies of the 
Republic cs the Netherlands in the Eaft Apeliesy 
and to the Cape of Good Flope. In thefe let- 
ters, this perfidious and ci-devant Minifter and 
Commander in Chief of thefe States, after having 
abandoned all his pofts, ordered, on his indivi- 
dual authority, the refpective Sav ernors to put 
the Colonies of the States under the proteétion of 
the Britith arms; that isto fay, in the artful end 
cuftomary language of the Enghith Miniftry, to 
furrender them to England. Notwithitanding 
this felonious ftratagem has failed in the greater. 
part of the Colonies, through the fidelity of their 
Governors, it was impofible to prevent the Cape: 
of Good Hope from falling into the hands of the 
Englith; and feveral important poffeffions of 
thefe States, in the Eaft Indies, have fhared the 
fame fate. 
While all this was taking place, the Britifl 
Minifter conceived the plan of attacking alfo by 
land this free Republic, and of employing for 
that purpofe thofe foldiers, who, being more at- 
tached to the Prince of Orange than to their 
country, emigrated on the flattering promifes of 
England. —Thefe fugitives were not only well re* 
ceived in the States of his Britannic Majc fly in 
Germanys 
